There are a variety of commercial pest control solutions available today to deal with ant infestations. Unfortunately, the majority of them include toxic chemicals that might harm your children’s and pets’ health. Fortunately, there’s a secret ingredient hidden in your pantries that can keep these persistent intruders at bay: cinnamon.
So how do you use home remedies like cinnamon to eliminate ghost ants? Cinnamon can assist you in eliminating your ghost ant infestation, as they’re extremely effective repellents. In concentrated doses, the spice can even kill some ants, but these doses are only produced in laboratories. Cinnamon shouldn’t be your first line of defense against ants. Only use it as a supplement to more effective alternatives.
Will Cinnamon Get Rid of Ghost Ants?
Ant baits and pesticides are effective strategies to eliminate ants in your house. However, many homeowners avoid using these products since they can be harmful. Ant baits and insecticides contain substances that can hurt not just the ants in your home, but also the people who live there.
Ant baits on the floor, for example, can be ingested by animals or unsupervised children. Additionally, people in your neighborhood may come into contact with pesticides sprayed on the walls. Although you can take precautions when utilizing pest control products, these risks cannot be totally avoided.
Many homeowners are choosing more natural alternatives for their ant infestation problems because of these potential risks. Essential oils, lemon, and vinegar are used by some. Some people mix lemon and vinegar to make a stronger solution. Cinnamon is another natural remedy that most claim to be helpful.
How Effective is Cinnamon in Killing Ants?
The most common claim in online publications is that cinnamon repels ants due to its strong scent. Because ants have a sensitive sense of smell, spices like cinnamon will overpower them. On pheromone trails, workers leave a scent, which cinnamon’s strong smell can disrupt or neutralize.
These claims have some validity. However, cinnamon is only used as an ant repellant, not as an ant killer. Note that there is a significant difference here: ant repellents are only effective against ants because of their instinctive intolerance to them, while cinnamon has a strong smell that ants particularly dislike.
Cinnamon can only do so much to control your ant infestation because it doesn’t actually kill the ants like ant baits and insecticides do. At their best, cinnamon can only keep ants out of your house. This spice can only force the ants to explore other areas of the home where they can infiltrate.
While cinnamon can be used to repel ants, it isn’t as powerful as the internet suggests. Cinnamon requires high concentrations for it to be useful even as an ant repellant. If you don’t want to use ant baits or sprays, make your home as uninviting to ants as possible. A pest control professional can help determine which species of ants are in your home and how to eliminate them.
Why Use Cinnamon to Eliminate Ants?
Ants are one of the most common concerns that homeowners face, especially in the spring. Worker ghost ants forage for a food source anywhere they can, and cinnamon has a unique smell that ants avoid at all costs. The following reasons demonstrate why cinnamon can be used alongside other pest control methods:
- Cost-effective – Cinnamon oil is an effective way to get rid of ants in the home for a low price. Purchasing a bottle of cinnamon essential oil will last you for years without breaking the bank.
- Natural and non-toxic – Cinnamon is an excellent, natural ant repellent. Though cinnamon isn’t dangerous to humans or dogs in small doses, dilute it with at least 90% before using it on your floors or any other surfaces in your home.
- Child and Pet-friendly – Cinnamon is a non-toxic, pet-friendly product that helps repel ants. It’s also a highly child-friendly method of ant control. Cinnamon oil, on the other hand, can be harmful if consumed by dogs or children, so it shouldn’t be applied to the skin.
How to Use Cinnamon for Ant Infestations
To get rid of ants, homeowners use three different varieties of cinnamon: oil, powder, and stick. Here are some instances of methods homeowners have used cinnamon to combat ants:
Cinnamon Essential Oils
Cinnamon essential oils contain a higher cinnamon concentration than cinnamon powder or sticks, making them more potent. A cotton swab is dipped in the essential oil bottle and dabbed on areas where there is a lot of ant activity.
Many individuals prefer to make a solution and then spray it all over their house. They mix 1/4 to 1/2 cup water with around 20 drops of cinnamon essential oil to make a cinnamon solution. They spray the solution in locations where there is a concentration of ant activity with a spray bottle.
Cinnamon Stick
Cinnamon sticks are frequently used by homeowners to get rid of ants. Although it may appear absurd, many of them claim to have observed favorable outcomes. They simply placed cinnamon sticks, like cinnamon powder, on the ants’ potential entry points.
Cinnamon Powder
Cinnamon powder is the most widely available form of cinnamon. Major establishments, such as grocery stores, sell them readily. The ants’ potential entry points are simply sprinkled with cinnamon powder. The borders of floors and walls, the spaces between doors and windows, and structural issues such as cracks in the walls are all potential entry routes.
Cinnamon powder shouldn’t be randomly sprinkled around the house, according to many homeowners. They believe that sprinkling the powder in a line will work as a barrier, keeping ants from entering their property.
Alternative Home Remedies for Ant Infestations
Ants may be a bit of a challenge for both home and business owners. People frequently attempt to manage ant problems first with home remedies and natural alternatives. The problem with most of these methods is that they aren’t 100% effective, and they frequently result in ants returning to your home.
Essential Oils
Pheromones are used by ants to communicate and identify the movement of other ants. Essential oils have a strong scent that disturbs and distracts ant pheromone routes, allowing us to control the ant infestation. You can also form a barrier to keep ants out of your house or yard by using plants that contain essential oils, rather than essential oils.
Several essential oils have incredible ant repellant and insecticidal properties. In some cases, they can kill ants more effectively than other natural ant treatment solutions. Use cedarwood oil, citrus oil, clove oil, or tea tree oil to kill ants-infested areas. These oils contain compounds that not only help to get rid of ants, but also make it easier to avoid re-infestation.
Borax
Borax, which is most typically marketed as a household cleaner, can also be used to manage ants naturally. This mixture, when combined with sugar, jelly, or syrup, can be placed in parts of the house where ants are most active, as well as outside in your yard or near ant mounds.
Borax is a slow-acting substance that attacks the digestive tract of the ant, eventually killing them. It may take a few days for this to happen, and it’s only successful if the borax is carried back to the ant colony and delivered to the larger population, particularly the queen.
Water and Dish Soap Solution
Fill a spray container halfway with dish soap or dishwashing liquid and shake it thoroughly. Spray the insects with the solution as soon as you locate them. The dish soap will suffocate the ants once they adhere to the solution.
This soapy water solution can also be used to eliminate ants that have taken up residence on your plants. The treatment will eliminate the ants while causing no damage to your plants.
Vinegar Solution
Because ants loathe vinegar, people dilute it with water and spray it around their homes to keep them away. This method works well in instances where the ant problem isn’t too significant. In a spray bottle, combine equal parts apple cider or white vinegar and water, then shake the bottle to combine the two.
Spray the solution along the floorboards, around window sills and doorways, and anyplace else you see ants entering your home. Repeat this process every day until all ants have left your home. You may also make it a practice to clean your floors, windows, and countertops with a vinegar solution to keep ants away.
Citrus
Another well-known home treatment for ants is lemon. The idea is that the lemon juice’s acidic properties will neutralize the ants’ scent trails and therefore deter them. One part lemon juice to three parts water is recommended for this homemade ant control alternative, which can be used as an all-purpose spray.
You can use the homemade repellent to spray around your door frames, window sills, and other ant access points. Although lemon juice appears to be an effective ant repellent, it is not the best solution. It may deter them for a short time, but it has little to no impact in the long run.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is a powdery sediment formed as a result of fossilized algae. This substance is found in and extracted from bodies of water, and it contains a significant amount of silica because of the algae. It’s important to remember that you should only purchase food-grade diatomaceous earth and not the variety used for pool maintenance. The variant for swimming pools is particularly hazardous.
The simplest method to kill ants with diatomaceous earth is to sprinkle it directly over the infested area. Line the ant trail and sprinkle the powder around baseboards, floors, window sills, wall voids, and other small spaces where ants may have gained access into your home.
Wear a pair of gloves and a respirator before dispersing the diatomaceous earth. While diatomaceous earth isn’t normally dangerous, inhaling large amounts can cause respiratory discomfort. The gloves will also protect your hands from itching because the substance can cause dryness.
Midway Pest Management: Professional Pest Control Solutions
Despite using effective home remedies made from natural ingredients, ant infestations inside homes can be challenging to control. It’s best to entrust the task to a professional pest management company like Midway Pest Management. Our pest control professionals analyze the amount of damage and infestation before recommending the best treatment strategy for your home.
For pest control in your home or business, Midway Pest Management is the smartest and safest option. We have the equipment, techniques, and procedures to keep all types of pests and insects out of your property. Get in touch with us today for a quote.
Learn More: Ghost Ants vs Sugar Ants: What’s The Difference?
